The thunder stops as suddenly as it had come, echoes dying away to a mere rumbling in the distance. Mattias stays standing though. “I don’t like it.” He murmurs. “That can’t have been a simple storm.” Striding towards the door, he announces “I’m going to check it out. I would suggest you all remain here, where it is safe.”

Immediately, I get up to follow him. If the storm interests him this much, I want to see it too. Folas follows me, presumably also interested. Valkallyn follows him. And suddenly there’s a whole troop of us rushing down the long, crowded set of stairs down into the entryway. Students and teachers bustle and jostle in the brisk evening wind that slices through the open door, all craning their necks to get the best view. I squeeze through the crowd, wings, elbows, and ankles blocking me from all sides. But nobody takes notice of over half a dozen fugitives pressing in throughout the crowd. When I’ve finally elbowed my way to the front of the doorway, I see why. Not too far away the city is lit up brighter than day. Fires lap at the gloaming sky, trying to devour the stars that have only just started to show themselves. Shadows swoop and dive through the sunset, hunting. Their silhouettes are clear. Dragons. Dragons have attacked The Light that Guides the Lost Seas. In such numbers that their wingbeats sounded like thunderclaps as they flew overhead! They shook the whole tower! Just how many are out there? I stare gaped jawed as a large ruby-scaled dragon opens its mouth and flames one of the spires that twists into the sky, setting it ablaze. Faladel’s hand claps down on my shoulder, startling me into action.

“We need to move.” He says firmly, and my training takes hold. Of course! If the dragons are here, they’re probably after at least one of the same items we are. The Scales. “You think they can lead us to them?” I ask Faladel, and he looks at me confusedly.

“What are you talking about Briareth?”

“Scales.” I summarize, “Dragons and scales.” I don’t think my explanation makes much sense, but Faladel’s green eyes widen as his brain takes a few seconds to follow the same leaps mine did.

“It’s possible. I’ll let Adamar know, but we’re going to retrieve the magic-breaker, remember?”

“Oh. Right.” I feel my cheeks flush as I grin, slightly embarrassed. “Wrong artifact.”

“No, no, don’t feel ashamed. It’s a very good idea.” Faladel says, waving over Silv who pushes to the front with a very annoyed look on her face. Being the shortest in a crowd and not having the wings to fly above it and see what people are looking at must suck. Her face says it’s clearly not the first time she’s had to deal with this particular problem, and she looks more than ready to slap some dragons into shape as she comes to join us at the front. Then she looks up and out, back at The Light, and her fierce expression pales into fear. Her eyes widen, and she freezes midstep. I watch, curiously as her face firms back up and her hands solidify into fists.

“Should we delay?” She asks as soon as we arrive. “It’ll be dangerous going into the city right now. There will be people panicking in the streets, mobs trying to shove their way out…” She trails off seeing Faladel’s determined stance and my incredulous stare.

“Of course not.” Faladel says bluntly. “It’ll be dangerous whenever we go into the city. Either being hunted by guards or dragons and mobs to deal with, we were going to have trouble either way. And Briareth had this idea…” He takes a few seconds to explain it to her while the rest of the crew arrives. I watch them closely, ignoring Faladel as he goes over the plan one more time. Fin fidgets, clearly ready to get going. Adamar and Silv are paying rapt attention. Elen checks her pouch for something. Folas and Valkallyn stare incredulously towards the burning city, and I don’t blame the fear in their eyes. This is the first time they’ve ever seen dragons. And there’s so many of them.

Mattias chews on his lip, listening to Faladel but staring at his home city. The smoke makes the whole horizon an orange haze of sunset and flames. I’ve never seen a color quite like it. It’s so bright it stings my eyes. Or perhaps some of the smoke has drifted our direction.

“Do you mind if I take a ride on your boat to the city?” Mattias asks Silv, “I know it will already be crowded but…” His lilting voice trails off.

Silv shrugs, “You were willing to make your home crowded for us, I don’t see why our boat can’t handle another Kashan.” Mattias nods gratefully.

“Let's head out then!” Faladel announces, clapping his hands twice, spurring us to action. Fin and Elen Zip off to retrieve the boat, swiftly navigating the fliers who’ve risen above the crowd to get a better view of the attack. Faladel paces, not content to sit and wait. Silv starts talking with Mattias in a lowered voice. I quickly struggle over to Adamar, Valkallyn, and Folas.

“Is everything alright with you guys? I know this is a lot to take in–” I begin, quite pleased with my empathetic skills.

“What, the fact that your dragon buddy got turned evil, and is attacking a city with all his friends right over there?” Folas interrupts, an uncharacteristic squeak to his voice.

“Or the fact that we’re soon going to be going into that very same burning city to find whatever turned him evil and to steal it from a mysterious guy and hope the dragons don’t find it on us or barbeque us by accident?” Valkallyn deadpans.

“We’re fine.” Adamar says lackadaisically, “Personally, I think this isn’t nearly as dangerous as staying at Mossblossom Central would be.” I snort, not entirely sure if he’s serious or not, but determined to treat this all like a good joke.

Folas opens his mouth, but then shuts it. “Okay, probably safer than school.” Valkallyn concurs. “But only just.” Her twin nods his agreement. “And that’s mainly because you keep getting kidnapped, Adamar.” She continues doggedly.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“That was just the one time two years ago!” Adamar retorts, a slight flush reddening his normally pale cheeks. “And I got myself out of that situation perfectly fine, thank you very much!”

“Yes, but it upset classes for a week and HeadMaster Haulding had to turn the whole school upside down searching for you.”

I vaguely remember something about this in the letters they sent me, but I still have to ask. “Was that literally upside down?”

Folas and Valkallyn turn to me in unison. “Yes.” they chime together, not looking amused in the slightest. I can’t stop a huge grin from spreading over my face as I try to figure out exactly how that would work. Was gravity backwards or just the buildings the wrong way up? Either way, it sounds hilarious.

“Wish I was there.” I say.

“NO, YOU DON’T!” They shout at me, Adamar only slightly behind the twins.

I stare in disbelief until Adamar sighs and adds on, “Nevermind, you would have probably enjoyed it.”

“Thank you.” I say, grateful for the acknowledgement. I turn suddenly as I hear a chorus of annoyed shouts. Looking up I see a slim boat pull into the air above us, forcing Kashan and Tadhiel out of the way. Fin dives down towards us, pulling a rope ladder behind him.

“All aboard!” He shouts, and when I don’t move fast enough he actually grabs me and hauls me up into the sky with him. I thrash and flail uselessly for a few seconds before he drops me onto the boat and goes back for someone else. In almost no time we’re off.

Smoke clouds billow up into the sky as we get closer. We’re coming from downwind, so it blows right into our faces. The dragons have the city surrounded, but seem more focused on causing as much havoc as possible than on keeping people out. Diving between the massive wingbeats of a silver and a purple, Silv lands us in a deserted alleyway near the North side of the city, close to where the chairholder lives. Elen opens the water barrels and wets rags for our faces, handing them off to us before they take off into the burning sky, dodging dragons, fleeing citizens, and the occasional burst of flames.

I grimace from behind my wet mask of rags, not sure if the smoke is causing my headache, or being back in the city. Faladel surveys the damage around us. This part of the city had been extravagant when we first arrived. Tiny metal robots sweeping the already shining cobblestones. More normal servants in drab clothes bustling around getting work done, and gossiping quietly. Kashan, Tadhiel, and Zytherling elite in stainless white and gem colored robes visiting each other's houses and bartering for favors. Now the streets are blackened with soot and ash. Although this section of the city hasn’t been hit that hard, it has clearly already been deserted by its inhabitants. They probably fled in private carriages and airships as soon as the dragon’s attacked. Two of the metal servants continue to sweep uselessly at the stained cobblestones, it is impossible to get it back to its original shining white.

“Where do we go now?” Faladel asks, turning to me, and gesturing to the street in front of us. “Uphill? Or down?”

I try to concentrate, but my guess is just that, a guess. “Down?” Faladel blinks at me.

“You don’t sound very certain.” He hazards. I can read his expression, he’s already doubting this, doubting our plan, doubting me.

“Well, once we get moving, I’ll be able to tell more exactly.” I hurry to explain. “Afterall, if my headache clears up, I’ll know we’re going in the wrong direction, right?”

Faladel’s frown deepens. “You already have a headache? Briareth are you sure–”

“I’m perfectly fine!” I promise. “I’m not going to collapse at any minute Faladel! You don’t need to mother-hen me.”

“I don’t mother-hen anyone!” Faladel protests, looking quite affronted. Delighted, I start bickering with him. He could use the distraction from his worries, and it will keep him off my back. I lead the way down the street, and I can’t tell if we’re heading west, or if there are just more fires in this direction. The sky looks so orange.

Faladel is still protesting his innocence in the matter of mother-henning me, when I hold up a hand to stop us. Instantly he silences. He doesn’t have the training I do in the King’s Archers’ signals, but everyone knows a ‘stop’ hand when they see it. Carefully I peek around the edge of a mansion that has lost a lot of its austereness by having its roof cave in. I’d swear I’d heard voices– well voices other than Faladel’s– but I don’t see anyone out there. Carefully, I move out of our alley and into the open thoroughfare, uncomfortably aware of the tracks Faladel and I are leaving behind us in the ash that litters the street. Suddenly a hot wind flashes down the street, strong and scorching, carrying heavy smoke with it. It leaves both Faladel and I coughing and wheezing for breath behind our masks. Good news, our tracks are definitely gone now. I think to myself as I struggle to catch my breath. Bad news, we’re not the only ones coughing.

I grab Faladel who’s still gasping for fresh air, and drag him over to the far end of the street, across from the alleyway we had entered from. Slowly we make our way up the street. My headache is definitely worse now. I’m convinced this is the right way. But it is also the way those voices were coming from. Hopefully, I scan buildings on both sides of the street, looking for alleys leading to parallel roads. But they’re almost all boarded up with wooden boards too tall and sheer to climb. Apparently our alleyway was an exception to the boarded up rule. I frown glaring at one right next to a bakery. Half of the sign on the outside is burnt away leaving only half of the smiling cupcake under the illegible name of its owner. From inside, the chattering voices come again. I flinch, I didn’t realize they were so close.

“We have to get out, we can’t stay here, Auxen!” Exclaims a distinctly feminine voice. “Either the dragons will get us, or the returning house owners!”

“Not to mention, some of these metal servants have been programmed as guards. Like who even does that? You said it would be easy pickings. And yet we haven’t managed to get into one house yet.” A young, male chimes in. His voice hasn’t even deepened yet.

“Lethbal, Tina, I know you and the rest of our friends don’t quite trust me yet.” A cheeky male voice says, clearly attempting to sooth them, but ending up sounding far too pleased with himself. “But I’ve got a plan to get us around all the danger in this place.”

“And why didn’t we use this method before?” Lethbal asks, I peek through the window and see a Zytherling who is even shorter than normal, probably just a child, staring with hands on his hips down at a taller Zytherling who is messing around with the stones on the floor of the corner of the bakery. Nearby, a scruffy looking female Kashan fidgets nervously with one of her black wings. Other scruffy looking people sit on chairs and benches around the shop. Some have the white feathery wings of Tadhiel, some have the dark wings of Kashan, and quite a few have no wings at all.

“Well, there is always a chance that it will collapse on us.” The Zytherling on the floor looks up at his shorter counterpart, a sly grin on his face. Then his eyes meet mine through the glass and his grin flips into a scowl. “Lethbal, we have intruders outside.” He snaps, and heads all over the room twist to look at us. “Didn’t I tell you to place guards?!”

“Oh snap.” I whisper, stepping away from the window.